Betrayed? I Upgraded to His Billionaire Brother novel Chapter 45

chapter 45

“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. Your girl Elara isn’t some fragile little thing.” I gave her a reassuring smile.

She nodded slowly, thoughtful. “You know, ever since Zane’s brother Ethan died… you’ve been different. Did he really affect you that much?”

“Maybe his death was a wake–up call,” I joked darkly. “Or maybe he’s still out there somewhere, watching me–honestly, sometimes I can feel eyes on me, like he’s saying ‘Elara, if you don’t get your act together, I won’t forgive you!“”

Chloe’s bubbly laughter filled the room. “Okay, if that’s true, now I’m low–key hoping the guy’s still kicking. Just for that, I’m putting in overtime on this case–but you’re still my favorite client, obviously.”

“You’ve always got my back.”

“Why else would you keep me around?” She winked, striking a playful pose. “It’s clearly for my dazzling wit and excellent comic timing.” Her grin was infectious, a trademark of the Chloe Harrison Special–always knowing how to pull me back from the edge with just the right amount of silliness.

We set off together after breakfast.

“Wait, aren’t you off today? You’ve been doing consultations for three or four days straight.”

“Mhmm…”

I shrugged. “Nothing better to do at home anyway. Might as well go help out.”

The truth was, I didn’t want to be alone today.

The hospital was always crowded. Staying busy all day meant my thoughts had no leisure to wander into dark places.

It was snowing again.

I checked the time, hurried back to my office to grab my coat and bag, and set off.

The forecast had called for moderate to heavy snow.

I needed to leave early–before the roads iced over and traffic became a nightmare. Being late would just give them more reason to find fault.

The taxi driver was incredibly stingy with the heat. He’d rather turn the car into an icebox than waste fuel.

As I rubbed my hands together in the back seat, he apologized, “Sorry about that. Just trying to save a bit on gas, get a few more runs in.”

“It’s fine.”

I caught a glimpse of his pale face in the rearview mirror. “An hour of cold wind won’t kill me. But you–your heart isn’t too good, is it? You really shouldn’t push yourself so hard.”

His eyes widened. “Wow, how could you tell?”

Before I could answer, he let out a weary sigh. “It’s my youngest daughter–she inherited the condition. I’m just trying to scrape together enough for her surgery.”

I’d already seen his daughter on his phone’s wallpaper–a little girl with big eyes, frail from illness, around six years old.

Something tugged at my chest. “How much more do you need?”

He forced a smile. “Almost there. Just another three or four thousand, and the doctor can schedule the surgery.”

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Betrayed? I Upgraded to His Billionaire Brother

32.1%

chapter 45

Three or four thousand.

By the time he saved that much, given his daughter’s condition, it might be too late for the surgery.

I lowered my head, not responding.

I had originally planned to wait for Zane so we could walk in together. A few hundred yards from the Windsor estate, I paid and got out of the taxi.

The snow was falling heavier now–large, fluffy flakes drifting down.

Thinking it was about time, I pulled out my phone and called Zane. “Zane, how far away are you? I’m waiting at the pavilion near the old estate.”

“Elara…”

He sounded hesitant. “Something came up at the company last minute. You go on ahead. I’ll get there as soon as I handle this, alright?”

I had no right to say no.

My voice was slightly nasal from the cold. “Okay. What time, roughly?”

“Hmm, before 7:30. I’ll definitely be there.”

“Alright, I’ll wait for you.”

After hanging up, a flicker of disappointment crossed my eyes. I stopped waiting and turned to walk alone toward the old mansion.

Zane wasn’t coming tonight.

For a moment, I felt ridiculous.

How could I have fantasized about leveraging Zane’s sliver of guilt to survive the night at the Windsors?

When Ethan was alive, Zane only accompanied me when he had business to discuss with the family.

Now? Now that Amelia was single again?

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